Car-brake



(No Model.)

A. C. DODGE.

GAR BRAKE. Y

No. 324,308, Patented Aug. l1, 188.5.

v UNITED STATESV PATENT OFFICE.,

ARTHUR C. 'DODGE, OF GARDINER, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALBERT W. REYNOLDS, OF MACHIAS, MAINE.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 324,308, dated August 11,1885. Application fnea July 19', 1884. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR C. DODGE, a citizen of theUnited States, residing at Gardiner, in the county of- Kennebec and State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gar-Brakes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to car-brakes; and the object of my invention is to provide a brake which shall be operated by the motion of the car-wheel. I accomplish this result by means of a friction-wheel, attached to the shaft of which is the chain connecting with the brake, and which friction-wheel, being pressed down onto the surface of the car-wheel, winds up the brake.

In the drawings, Figure I is a perspective view of my device. Fig. 2is a side elevation of pawls and ratchet-wheel. Fig. 3 is a side view of friction-wheel.

A is the carwheel. which has a bearing in the spring-bar G, while the other turns in the cross-bar D. On one end of the shaft B, and directly over thecarwheel A, is the friction-Wheel E. The edge of the friction-wheel E is raised somewhat above the car-wheel bythe position of the spring-bar C. The shaft B passes through the bar D, -and attached to the shaft, and on either side of the bar D, are the two ratchet-wheels F and G, lhaving their teeth pointing in opposite directions. The pawls G' and F play in the wheels G and F, these pawls being hung to the bar D, and having their lower ends united by a bar, H, which extends forward through the framework ofthe car-truck to the front of the car.

Pivoted to the end of bar H is an upright lever, J, reaching to the topk of the car, and being hinged by a bearing, K. The upper end of lever J is formed into a handle, and is held in a socket, L, in an iron casting, which is bolted against the car. of lever J is fixed in the socket L, the pawls F and G are held in such a position that neither of them engages the wheels F and G.

. Attached to the shaft B is the chain M,

B isashaft, one end of When the handle which winds about the shaft and connects with the ear-brakes.

The spring-bar C, which supports the end of the shaft B, is attached by one end to the frame-work of the truck, while the other end is connected with a rod, N, which extends upward to the top of the car, and which has a handle, n', and a guide, n, in which it plays up and down. That portion of the bar C which extends from the point where it is secured to the frame to the bearing of the shaft B is made of such for m and material as to form a spring of suitable stiffness. This spring should be stiff enough tokeep the frictionwheel lifted above the car-wheel, and at the same time limber enough to be easily pressed down by a man bearing on the top of the upright rod N.

Having thus described the mode of con structing my brake, I now proceed to show its manner of operation.

In order to apply the brake the rod N is pressed downward, forcing the friction-wheel E against the car-wheel A. The revolution of the friction wheel E in either direction winds the chain M about the shaft, and so works the brake. ing in the ratchet-wheels F and G, hold the slack of the chain M and enable the brakes to be set. In Fig. 2 the car is supposed to be moving backward, and the handle of the lever J is sprung out from the socket L and pushed away from the car. This forces the pawl F down onto the wheel F, and holds the shaft B in position. This isdone at the same time the brake is applied. When the brake is to be let off, the lever J is moved back into socket L, which disengages the pawl F. When the car is moving in the opposite direction,the lever J is moved toward the car.

A variety of means other than those here shown might be employed to engage and disengage the pawls F.and G', and also to raise and lower the friction-wheel E; but the devices here shown indicate one method by which it may be done.

I claiml.. The car-brake composed ofthe friction- The pawls F and G', work- 75 ratchet-wheels F G and pnwls F G', whereby the motion :required by the wheel E is retained and applied to setting up the brakes, substantifdly as described und shown.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR C. DODGE.

XVitnesses:

S. E. JOHNSON, O. B. CmsoN. 

